Just a simple breakfast
Meals in Turkey and the Middle East are about gathering together. There is no micro wave pop tarts or instant oatmeal. It’s about starting your day with a ritual of putting on your pot of tea, letting it rest while…
Tomatoes, A History…
From boredom, springs curiosity..for me that is… Today, I was curious about tomato paste which led me on a historical journey of tomatoes. Being half Turkish, tomatoes are just part of life. They are part of our genetic make up…
Baklava Candy-Say WHAAAT??!!!
Have you ever had a picture in your head of something you needed to make just circling around, prodding you into action until you actually DO it? Yea, welcome to my stream of consciousness most of the time! Last fall,…
My Comfort Food: Manti, Turkish dumplings
Well, we have been housebound for a few days now and we are a bit tired of mystery meals from the freezer. It was time to dig into supplies and actually COOK something! Lucky me found some ground lamb in…
Sugar, Spiritualism, & Parrots
We will fly like green parrots, fluttering our beautiful wings. We have become the land of sugar. We will go to the square of sugar. ~ Mevlana I may be a baker by trade, but I am a historian by…
Have we met? My Name is Elif!
Hi there! Not sure if we have met before, but I wanted to introduce myself! My name is Elif and I punk out Turkish Baklava with different flavor infusions. In a nutshell, I like to play and this baklava…
De-Constructed Dolma
Recently, I met a friend out for lunch. The cafe we had intended to go to was closed, so we walked two doors down to one that had nice outdoor seating. I am not even going to even go into…
Going Bananas with Banana Baklava!
Oh my YUM! Simple can sometimes be the most divine. I had leftover walnut and milk chocolate filling that needed to be used up.How could I make it Sassy? Bananas, sliced and sprinkled with cinnamin and sugar would work perfectly! The…
Lemonade & Baklava: Young Entrepreneurs get serious!
Summertime is synonymous with lemonade stands. It was no different in our house. The girls had asked one day if they could do a lemonade stand (last minute, on a Wednesday at 5 pm..with no supplies). I said that I…
Out on the town at Granary Row
Boozy Baklava had a blast at Granary Row! Bohemian Baklava had the prime spot in the Biergarten with 2 different beer baklavas as well as some savory baklava (called Börek). I was at GR for only 2 weeks, but it…
Twizzler Temptations
This summer has been filled with experimental cooking and Baklava challenges. My daughter Mina decided she was going to challenge me to make a Twizzlers Red Licorice Baklava. I have to say that I was a bit reluctant, but I…
Beers, Brats, & Baklava
Last month, I had a fun challenge: To create German inspired baklava. I had once done a Mexican Baklava, so why not try a German one!A friend had posted on my Women’s Networking group the need for a dessert sponsor…
